Spring vegetable planting

I planted one of my two raised beds last week. That's unusual for me because I normally just start later with the tomatoes and peppers. But this winter, Yeon and I met at her house and went through the seed catalogs and I got inspired. Between our orders from Pinetree and Seed Savers, and the seeds I had not planted from the previous two years, I must have had enough for five gardens. When we got the nice weather last week, I dug up a garden bed and got to work. The result: I planted radishes, beets, carrots and peas. There's also onions already in the bed.

The problem with these beds, which are about 5'x10' each, is that there is not enough space for me to grow EVERYTHING I want. But I know myself- I am not energetic enough for a huge garden, and this will be plenty to weed later in the summer.

I also planted a few blueberry bushes, which are literally twigs at this point. I have very high hopes for them, after picking at Glade-Link Farm last year.

My rhubarb is also starting to come up. Rhubarb is easy and faithful. Considering how much better and cheaper it is than the dried out stalks of it you see in the grocery store, I highly recommend growing a plant. But just one plant. Rhubarb will grow to be quite big, and it will provide more rhubarb than you will ever need. I never tried rhubarb until a few years ago. It has a fairly un-nuanced sour flavor on its own, which explains why you see it so often with other fruits. It stretches their flavors and provides a succulent substance. It is okay on its own, though, in a cobbler, or made into a compote that can be put on ice cream.

If, like me, you have problems with critters (in my case. rabbits) eating all of your plants then I highly recommend the foul rotten egg-smelling stuff in the white container. I will also have to figure out some kind of chicken wire setup (Yeon has one that works very well) for when the plants get older. But for now, as the plants are beginning to germinate, and as they newly pop out of the ground, I will buy them some time.

What are you growing in Frederick right now?